§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Attorney-General whether he can state how many of the clerical staff of the Land Registry Office are members of the Bar or qualified solicitors; whether he is aware that, for a long time past there has been discontent and disappointment amongst the clerical staff of that office in relation to their pay and prospects; and whether he will consider the desirability of the appointment of a Departmental Committee to enquire into and report upon the organisation of the Land Registry Office and the pay and prospects of the clerical staff?
§ The SOLICITOR-GENERAL (Sir J. Simon)Twenty-one of the clerical, staff of the Land Registry are members of the Bar, or qualified solicitors. Such feeling as may exist of the nature referred to is probably due to the unavoidable postponement—pending the Report of the recent Royal Commission appointed in 1908—of any question of reorganisation of staff. The Report of the Commission is now receiving the attention of the Government in conjunction with a scheme for the reorganisation of staff; the present moment would 707 therefore not be an opportune one for the appointment of the Departmental Committee suggested.